Page 477 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

446 SOUTHERN ARABIA. [CH.

account of Oman. Female dancers, whose
performance is similar to that of the licen­

tious almas of Egypt, are also on these occa­
sions freely admitted within their houses. In­
deed, from what I have witnessed, and learn
from the Arabs themselves, it is evident that
female chastity has attained no very high
standard in this part of Arabia.

The Arabs here are passionately fond of
tobacco; and the first offering a host makes
to his guest is a rude water-pipe, formed of a
cocoa nut and short tube, which is passed
round from one to the other, and smoked in­
cessantly during the visit. Opium also, and
the hemp seed are not unfrequently smoked
until they produce intoxication. Through­
out this part of the coast, the population is of
varied origin ; the higher and more aristo­
cratic classes being descended from natives
of Jaffa and Hydr&maut, and are remarkable

for being much fairer than their neighbours.
The remainder are descended from foreigners,
who have settled here at different periods;
all, however, preserve the recollection of their
original descent. An Arab may forget, or be
disinclined to tell his age, but he is never

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